Page 31 of Wicked Cowboy
I glanced over my shoulder at him and patted his hand. “I’m missing my best friend. Chelsea still wants her mom, but thank you.”
"Of course she does,” Carter said fast. “But she has you, so at least that’s something.”
Another man came toward us and he let me go. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Loneliness hit me and I called out, “Carter?”
“Yeah?” He paused.
His shoulders weren’t as tall, and my instincts guided me. I fixed his tie. “You had nothing to do with any of this. We weren’t there.”
He kissed my cheek. “For this one, yeah.”
“We’ll talk when we get home.”
Once again, everyone knew everyone here, except me. I backed up but then met Frank, who said, “Ms. Steel.”
My nose wrinkled. After our daily task of speeding through custody forms, I thought we were closer. “Frank, you know to call me Ridley.”
He kept his head down. “I read the prenup.”
I sucked in my bottom lip and glanced at Carter. He shook hands with some men. He had my heart in his hands and he didn’t even know it. I blinked and focused back at Frank. “And?”
He spoke in a low voice. “If you cheat on him, you’re out with nothing. No matter how long you are married.”
He had to be joking. He was the one who could have anyone. Maybe that was normal in a prenup, but I ignored the twist in my gut that whispered we needed to talk more, and just said, “I get it.”
“There is more.”
“What else?”
We huddled so no one overheard us. “If you divorce him and he doesn’t agree, you’re also not getting any alimony.”
Goosebumps grew on my arms. I wasn’t here for money, anyhow. “Okay.”
“The allowance is generous enough that staying married would be prudent.”
I took out my phone and scanned the electronic document. Ten thousand a month was more than we agreed. My heart and body had a zap rush through them.
Did this crazy high number mean he wanted to be married for life?
My mind buzzed as I never earned that much and I put too much stock into details that probably didn’t mean what I hoped.
I stared at Frank and put my phone back in my bag. “I hadn’t… okay, what else?”
“And if he divorces you, the settlements are decent. I wish you’d spoken to me before signing.”
Carter’s conversation with the men ended. I should get back there.
I put my hand out to shake. “I… thanks for everything, Frank.”
He called out as I took a step forward. “No worries.”
I waved goodbye and retook my place beside Carter. We guarded Chelsea from too much intrusion by well-wishers.
When we had a moment alone, he asked, “What did your lawyer tell you?”
I glanced at the young girl. We should get her home soon. “That I should have talked to him about the prenup.”
